Barely In the Game

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Videogame giant, Electronic Arts, has a whopping three N64 games left in the pipe.

By IGN Staff

For some reason E3 will not be overrun by third party N64 titles. Sure the Nintendo 64 action will be red hot around Nintendo's booth, but elsewhere around the show will be a different story. Case in point, Electronic Arts, the largest third party software publisher in the galaxy only has three N64 products scheduled for release and it isn't even going to show all of them at next week's big three day event.

Information out of EA's recent quarterly earnings conference call confirms that the company plans to release The World Is Not Enough, a Madden football title and an as yet unnamed WCW licensed title for the Nintendo 64 by next spring. There is always the potential for a surprise announcement of course, but a trio of N64 stragglers seems in line with the company's opinion of the console's viability.

Many third party companies, both big and small, have stopped questioning the N64's potential to make money for them this late in its life cycle, and have simply started acting on their suspicions and halted production of N64 products altogether. It's significant that a giant like EA, that can afford to take more chances, has all but wrapped up its support of the console.

At this time the Nintendo 64 has no choice but to rely on closely affiliated companies like Rare, Left Field and the newly acquired Silicon Knights to get through its final days with dignity. Fortunately for N64 owners, these developers have turned out some of the best games for the console anyway.